The Sporting News has put together a ranking of the top 50 coaches of all-time -- in all sports -- and Bill Belichick is No. 20. The ranking was selected by a panel of 118 Hall of Famers, championship coaches and other experts.

The top 5:

1. John Wooden, college basketball

2. Vince Lombardi, NFL

3. Bear Bryant, college football

4. Phil Jackson, NBA

5. Don Shula, NFL

Editor in Chief Jeff D'Alessio passed along the following via email:

Willie McGinest, who won three Super Bowls while playing for Belichick’s Patriots, wrote an appreciation of his former coach in the new issue of Sporting News Magazine.

Wrote McGinest: “We were practicing taking a safety back in 2003. Bill put it in for the case where we’d get pinned back in our own territory late in the fourth quarter. We’d take a safety with our punt team, then punt it away on the free kick, pin the other team back and put in our 2-minute offense to win the game.

“So we went over it in practice and most of us are thinking, ‘Wait a minute. If we’re pinned back, the last thing we want to do is take a safety.’ We thought in that scenario time would just run out, so what we’d really do was punt.

“As luck would have it, that very week, that situation came up in the Denver game. We’re pinned back to the goal line, and Bill calls for it. We take the safety and free kick. And we get a great kick, it goes 50 yards in the air, and the returner misjudged it, so it rolled another 15 yards. So instead of having the ball near midfield, they’re pinned, and we stop them.

“The offense gets the ball, rushes down the field and we score to win the game. It was exactly what we practiced. … Bill would present these crazy situations and say, ‘This may not come up. But we can’t panic if it does. If you do your job and do the little things, you’ll win more than you lose.’

“That’s his attention to detail. The way he’d scout other teams, we didn’t have to do a million things. He would pick two or three things a week we specifically needed to do. And as was the case during that Denver game, it seemed like he was always 100 percent on point.”

I think right now thats a good spot for him, cause you got to think of guys like Red Arbech and the like who are ahead of him right now. But if Belichick wins another couple super bowls he will deffently be in the top 5

So what do you think? to high, to low, right on. I think he's in the top 10 now, and when he retires probably in the top 5. Bill Belichick: No. 20 ranking on all-time, all-sport coaching list Email | Link | Comments (21) Posted by Mike Reiss, Globe Staff July 29, 2009 01:50 PM The Sporting News has put together a ranking of the top 50 coaches of all-time -- in all sports -- and Bill Belichick is No. 20. The ranking was selected by a panel of 118 Hall of Famers, championship coaches and other experts. The top 5: 1. John Wooden, college basketball 2. Vince Lombardi, NFL 3. Bear Bryant, college football 4. Phil Jackson, NBA 5. Don Shula, NFL Editor in Chief Jeff D'Alessio passed along the following via email: Willie McGinest, who won three Super Bowls while playing for Belichick’s Patriots, wrote an appreciation of his former coach in the new issue of Sporting News Magazine. Wrote McGinest: “We were practicing taking a safety back in 2003. Bill put it in for the case where we’d get pinned back in our own territory late in the fourth quarter. We’d take a safety with our punt team, then punt it away on the free kick, pin the other team back and put in our 2-minute offense to win the game. “So we went over it in practice and most of us are thinking, ‘Wait a minute. If we’re pinned back, the last thing we want to do is take a safety.’ We thought in that scenario time would just run out, so what we’d really do was punt. “As luck would have it, that very week, that situation came up in the Denver game. We’re pinned back to the goal line, and Bill calls for it. We take the safety and free kick. And we get a great kick, it goes 50 yards in the air, and the returner misjudged it, so it rolled another 15 yards. So instead of having the ball near midfield, they’re pinned, and we stop them. “The offense gets the ball, rushes down the field and we score to win the game. It was exactly what we practiced. … Bill would present these crazy situations and say, ‘This may not come up. But we can’t panic if it does. If you do your job and do the little things, you’ll win more than you lose.’ “That’s his attention to detail. The way he’d scout other teams, we didn’t have to do a million things. He would pick two or three things a week we specifically needed to do. And as was the case during that Denver game, it seemed like he was always 100 percent on point.”Posted by Harleyroadking111

I want to get hold of this list and see what other football coaches besides Shula are on the list. Parcells? Gibbs?

The one thing that sets him apart from a lot of these other great coaches is his multi-tasking of all football operations. Many of these coaches simply coached and didn't juggle all the other important decisions that BB makes.

If he continues to coach another 10 years, and continues to have the level of success he's had so far in New England, I see him as a top 3-5 of all time!

i guess with all the coaches from collage to the pro,s from way back until now 20 would be an honor,but i would think he would be higher,but this is just my being a pat fan.like mvp said,before its all said and done,he will rise up the ranks.

I'm not a big fan of ranking all timers in anything. The game changes. Just look at QB's of the 80's - Montana would struggle to start in today's NFL but he is unquestionably one of the greats.

It's not exactly the same for coaches but Belichick says it best IMO - for better or worse you are what your record is. Cameragate, Steroids, whatever - if they don't take away the Home Runs, the wins, or the Championships they still exist.

IMHO, the fact that he is on that list at all should make him rather proud when you consider that these are the all-time great coaches who set the standard for leadership and management ability in their respective sports for all who follow their footsteps.

It's hard to really compare coaches from all sports in the same list. The criterea would have to be motivation moreso than their W-L record, or even championships. Being at 20 isn't too shabby when you consider the timeline involved. I'd rather see where he came out on a list of football coaches. I still think he'd have to be rated above guys like Landry and Gibbs.

BB is in the middle of his career. When his career ends he could possibly have the best winning percentage of any NFL coach (currently 4th), the most post season wins (currently 5 behind with a record of 15-4), best post season winning percentage, in the top 4 or 5 in total wins (currently 153), and the most Super Bowl wins (I'm hoping). I have difficulty showing Lombardi in this group unless we are talking about the best in any given decade. He only won 105 games. Red A has to be right up there with 11 championships in 13 years. This is probably a feat never to be repeated.

BB is in the middle of his career. When his career ends he could possibly have the best winning percentage of any NFL coach (currently 4th), the most post season wins (currently 5 behind with a record of 15-4), best post season winning percentage, in the top 4 or 5 in total wins (currently 153), and the most Super Bowl wins (I'm hoping). I have difficulty showing Lombardi in this group unless we are talking about the best in any given decade. He only won 105 games. Red A has to be right up there with 11 championships in 13 years. This is probably a feat never to be repeated. Bob APosted by Bob_A

Bob:

While Lombardi only won 105 games, his Packer teams set a standard of team performance that became the model and foundation of (even to this day) what is known today as the "modern football era" which started in 1958-1959. Just like Red Auerbach set the bedrock for the modern era of the NBA with the Celtics' teams of 1957-1969 vintage.

I forgot where this was written but in a story about BB and Parcells when they were much younger: they admitted that spending endless hours studying Lombardi's Packers game film and how it influenced the way they saw and coached the game of football ever since.

In Response to Re: Bill Belichick 20th ranked coach : Bob: While Lombardi only won 105 games, his Packer teams set a standard of team performance that became the model and foundation of (even to this day) what is known today as the "modern football era" which started in 1958-1959. Just like Red Auerbach set the bedrock for the modern era of the NBA with the Celtics' teams of 1957-1969 vintage. I forgot where this was written but in a story about BB and Parcells when they were much younger: they admitted that spending endless hours studying Lombardi's Packers game film and how it influenced the way they saw and coached the game of football ever since.Posted by Belenus555

All of these polls are usually skewed heavily toward athletes and coaches of the past. This is ironic in one way, becuase today's game is so much more complicated; but understandable in another, since the passage of time allows for romantification of the heros of yesterday. This romantacism will no doubt aid BB in time, but what bothers me constantly is that I cannot help but suspect he is judged by many today based on how they feel about him personally--he is not a "nice guy", so he is therefore less of a coach. Complete bunk!

I do not want to take anything away from Lombardi--he should be number 1 in NFL coaches--but he is a bit over-idolized. He overshadows other greats like Paul Brown, whom Belichick cites as a major inspiration. His 9-1 playoff record is amazing, but Belichick got to 10-1 at one point and had three Super Bowl trophies. Of some irony, Lombardi made winning above all else his mantra ("Winning isn't everything, it is the only thing", a quotation he did not originate but made famous; "If winning isn't everything, why do they keep score?"). This very same mentality has made BB villified in the eyes of some.

I agree that 20 is not a bad honor considering all who are in the running, and he is the only active NFL coach on the list. Viewed this way, it is quite an honor. On the other hand, he is number 8 among NFL coaches, which even currently I feel is too low. I'd put him at 4 among NFL coaches, behind Lombardi, Brown, and Halas (maybe 5 if you throw Shula in there).

But, eventually, BB will have to go to number 2 (romantacism will never allow for Lombardi to fall from number 1, although the debates should be fun). It will take time to realize what sets BB apart from other great coaches. They all won with a certain style, with grind-it-out running, a certain passing game, etc. Belichick wins by playing the style that works best in the given situation (the best example being the back-to-back wins over the Colts and Steelers in 04 by playing distinctly different each week) and by getting amazing results from below-average talent. The man is amazing!

The problem I have with this poll is that the difference between coaching Basketball and Football is vast. Basketball really is more talent based and maybe 10-15% coaching. whereas football is 50% coaching, a team can have great players but must also have great coaching to be effective. These percentages are my own personal opinion, but that's the way I see it.

I have to agree with you there, Grogan. Even college football is a different animal, as motivation is more valuable than skill (or even mental toughness), plus you have a lot more players to work with. This is why I think only the NFL should be ranked to give it validity.

Why exactly is Don Shula on this list? More importantly how does he rank ahead of Bill Walsh? Chuck Noll? Tom Landry? Red Auerbach?Sorry I don't agree with this highly subjective list.For in my memory Bill Walsh may have been the greatest Football coach the other side of Bill Bellichek..Vince was a very good Head Coach but these 2 guys are heads above even his lofty standards.Red was the best professional basketball coach,but I do agree that John Wooden was one of the best College Basketball coaches ever,what really surprised me was the lack of the name of the greatest ladies Basketball coach Gino Oriema (I probably spelled his name wrong).But like I said the list is highly subjective....

Lists like these are great for good debating.They also point out how some don't know who some of the older great ones were and learn who they are through these lists.I do believe a seperate list for College and Pros should have been done the circumstances around both are very different.

I also think sometimes coaches are rated only on their best years which generally relate to having the better players in their careers.

But Wooden was great but he coached for 27 years at UCLA and 3 at ISU.Won 665 games ave 24 per year with 19 first place finishes in the PAC 10 and 10 NCAA Championships

So what do you think? to high, to low, right on. I think he's in the top 10 now, and when he retires probably in the top 5. Bill Belichick: No. 20 ranking on all-time, all-sport coaching list Email | Link | Comments (21) Posted by Mike Reiss, Globe Staff July 29, 2009 01:50 PM The Sporting News has put together a ranking of the top 50 coaches of all-time -- in all sports -- and Bill Belichick is No. 20. The ranking was selected by a panel of 118 Hall of Famers, championship coaches and other experts. The top 5: 1. John Wooden, college basketball 2. Vince Lombardi, NFL 3. Bear Bryant, college football 4. Phil Jackson, NBA 5. Don Shula, NFL Editor in Chief Jeff D'Alessio passed along the following via email: Willie McGinest, who won three Super Bowls while playing for Belichick’s Patriots, wrote an appreciation of his former coach in the new issue of Sporting News Magazine. Wrote McGinest: “We were practicing taking a safety back in 2003. Bill put it in for the case where we’d get pinned back in our own territory late in the fourth quarter. We’d take a safety with our punt team, then punt it away on the free kick, pin the other team back and put in our 2-minute offense to win the game. “So we went over it in practice and most of us are thinking, ‘Wait a minute. If we’re pinned back, the last thing we want to do is take a safety.’ We thought in that scenario time would just run out, so what we’d really do was punt. “As luck would have it, that very week, that situation came up in the Denver game. We’re pinned back to the goal line, and Bill calls for it. We take the safety and free kick. And we get a great kick, it goes 50 yards in the air, and the returner misjudged it, so it rolled another 15 yards. So instead of having the ball near midfield, they’re pinned, and we stop them. “The offense gets the ball, rushes down the field and we score to win the game. It was exactly what we practiced. … Bill would present these crazy situations and say, ‘This may not come up. But we can’t panic if it does. If you do your job and do the little things, you’ll win more than you lose.’ “That’s his attention to detail. The way he’d scout other teams, we didn’t have to do a million things. He would pick two or three things a week we specifically needed to do. And as was the case during that Denver game, it seemed like he was always 100 percent on point.”Posted by Harleyroadking111

Number One Ranked coach on use of video tape.Number One Innovator of all time in how to use cameras.